RAILWAY LEVER-CROSSINGS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1031, 21 January 1911, Page 13

RAILWAY LEVER-CROSSINGS.

Sir,—lll your issues of January 10. np r pears a report of a 'deputation to the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister , for' Railways, regarding the above. The Seputa-'. Hon- introduced by Mr, J. P.' Luke,' if.P.','' requested that the gates 'acrossr'thel react : way should not be-closed .at-'KhAndallah.v Tho Minister's ;rcply thereto 'reveals another lack 'of method by these railway authorities. If tho Department, had placed a signal-box at these stations when they put in tho tablet ■ system for signalling trains, and placed these' boxes near these lever-crossings, they would have shown up-to-dato-methods, as the signalman could have had control, . of these gates .at all times, either to open', tliem for'jtho roadway-traffic or;'riilway. trafiic. I have seen dozens'of these gates so. worked liight ;and : day -on single-line working in 'Scotland-, and no gate-keeper, in attendance:" Those are controlled by' a lover in the signal-box,." which: locks these gates when this lever is put back. A wheel is turned by tho signalman, and this operates a chain placed underneath tho ground, and opens or shuts the gate. I. was surprised that the Minister had no knowledgo of these appliances. Also I- understand that Mr. Luke, M.P., - recently., had a trip to Britain, and never saw any of these mjnor details of . railway working, which go' a long way in keeping railways up to date, and at the. same time save useless expense.—l am, ctc'.,. .... , ; .THos. m. milligan; " January 19, 1011. - . .